While the Seattle Argonauts began their existence with a relative wealth of strong defenders, they were not similarly blessed up front after the expansion draft and subsequent offseason. In particular, skilled forwards were of major concern to the Argonauts brass as they headed into their first draft as a franchise. It was there that they'd find a great deal of value in two members of another expansion team, the Quebec City Citadelles.

With the 18th overall selection, the Argonauts selected the talented Slovak Zdenko Beranek @ztevans, a well-balanced offensive player whose greatest strength is an incredible hockey IQ, particularly on the offensive side of the puck where he is capable of creating varied offense with creative stickhandling, adept passing, or an accurate shot. His patience with the puck on his stick is a hallmark of offensive stars in the SHL, and he exudes the same confidence as so many other young phenoms that have made their way to the big leagues in recent seasons. After starting his junior career on the wing, Beranek has transitioned to centre, where he exploded for 10 goals and 27 assists for 37 assists while providing capable two-way play as a pivot. 10 of these points came on the powerplay, an indication of his increased role and potentially signaling a big year to come now that he has reached the 425 cap in his third junior season.

By the time of the 44th selection, teams were making wild card picks all over. However, Seattle had their sights locked on one falling target in particular - Finnish winger William Salming @Salming, who would soon join his teammate Beranek as part of the Argonauts' inaugural draft class. Since draft day, Salming has done nothing but outperform his draft slot, which bodes well for Seattle's fortunes. Salming is a strong two-way winger who is remarkably proficient in stripping pucks on the backcheck as well as closing off passing lanes with excellent positioning. However, he is a menace in the offensive end, owing to his excellent puck skills and a lethal shot which is capable of beating goaltenders clean. His ability to protect the puck and attack the net from any angle make even the best defender's life difficult. After an 11-goal, 27-point campaign as a sophomore, it seems likely that we will see Salming display increased offensive production on top of his already stalwart defensive game.

It is likely that Beranek and Salming will be two key cogs in what looks to be a competitive team in Quebec City this season that sees many of their players hitting the 425 TPE cap, and it goes without saying that Argonaut fans are watching closely to see signs of budding chemistry between the two. On paper, their high-impact offensive game and strong defensive play appear to be a natural fit together, which is an enticing prospect for any observer. It is likely that they will each spend another two years together in Quebec before making the jump to Seattle, who are certainly in need of an injection of skill into their lineup. Argonauts management remains as confident in these picks as they were the day they were made, and when combined with other forward prospects like Newfoundland's Vaseline Podcalzone and Vancouver's Dee Centerman IV, Quebec City's dynamic duo is set to be a part of a bright future for both their current and future expansion teams.

Approved, +5 TPE @notorioustig

Great read, thanks. I can't wait for next seasons in Quebec City when we have a real chance to go deep in playoffs and future in Seattle after that.